


Second Thoughts

by RoRoWeasley



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Alan decides between International Rescue and School, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Protective Older Brothers, Tracy Brother Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-08-10 23:33:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16464437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoRoWeasley/pseuds/RoRoWeasley
Summary: Alan was promised that if he finished the school year with good enough grades he’ll be home educated next semester and allowed full-time involvement with International Rescue. But will spending time with his brothers and their Thunderbirds put him off? And are his brothers willing to have him as part of the team despite Alan’s rescue performances?





	1. Jeff

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a oneshot but as I got more into it, it got a LOT longer so there’s four more chapters to come! :)

_“Base from Thunderbird One, do you read me?”_ _  
_  
“Loud and clear, Scott,” Jeff acknowledged. Flicking the switch from his seated position at Command and Control to activate the communications link, he smiled fondly as the image of his eldest son appeared on the monitor before him.  
  
No matter how hard he tried, Scott could never fully mask how he was feeling from him, Jeff just simply knew how to read him and that stood for all of his boys. And right now, despite the light tone and smile beaming back at him, something in Scott’s eyes showed how he was feeling and it made the father chuckle.  
  
His eldest was looking ever so slightly put out, and Jeff had no doubt that it was because he’d been forcibly confined to his Thunderbird for the entire rescue, manning Mobile Control from his pilot seat. Landing the hypersonic rocket on the deck of a sinking ship wouldn’t have been the brightest of ideas, though there was no denying Scott would have had the best view of the situation from the air, especially in the middle of the night out at sea. Sensible was one thing, Scott Tracy was another. He was simply disappointed that he was missing out on the brunt of the action.  
  
His tone didn’t portray any of this however as he spoke. _“The cruise liner is secure, all 63 passengers and crew accounted for and on their way back to shore; we’re heading home. Virg is collecting Gords, Al and Johnny, ETA 0300.”_  
  
“FAB, Scott,” Jeff replied with a nod before initiating contact with One’s sister ship, keeping Scott’s feed active. “Thunderbird Two, how’s it going?”  
  
_“Great, Dad,”_ Virgil replied, his expression a mixture of awe and accomplishment. _“John’s on his way up as we speak and Four’s heading back to rendezvous with me now. Gordon and Alan managed to plug the hull breach and the USS Atlanta has arrived to tow the liner back. John got the passengers off and out of the water with the rescue platform and onto the W.A.S.P relief vessel. No casualties to report and the President will have her children back in time for breakfast.”_  
  
Jeff saw Scott chuckle, his attention focused out the right cockpit window, no doubt looking at the giant green transporter as his brother continued.  
  
_“Allie did real good, Dad. Gords panicked when it appeared the magnetic claws were more likely to cause an even larger hole, but Alan suggested they go out in their diving gear and do it themselves and that’s just what they did. I think we’ve finally turned Gordo into a flapping hen the way he was fussing over the sprout’s oxygen tank!”_  
  
Smirking at the mental picture that created, Jeff put out a call to his two youngest, greeting John as he appeared in the cockpit of Two behind Virgil. All of his sons (though particularly Scott) were known to smother each other whenever any of them were sick or injured. But there was absolutely no doubt that Alan received the most as he was the youngest, even when he wasn’t hurt.  
  
_“Hi guys,”_ came Gordon’s voice from the monitor, waving enthusiastically. The screen was now split three ways so Jeff could talk to all of his sons at once.  
  
The pair of them made quite a picture. Gordon’s damp copper hair was stuck up and the diving suit was rolled down to his waist. Alan stood behind him; his appearance identical, though his blond hair was even more mussed than Gordon’s, no doubt indicating the latter had already congratulated his brother.  
  
_“The hull is secure so there’s no chance of the liner sinking any further. Bringing my baby back up to the surface now.”_  
  
_“Which one, Gords?”_ John asked with a smirk, causing all but the aquanaut to laugh.  
  
_“Aww I didn’t think you loved anything more than Four, Gords, I’m touched,”_ Alan replied in mock surprise, a hand on his chest. The death glare on his immediate older brother’s face demanding he apologise only caused him to roar with laughter.  
  
_“Oi, watch it, else next time I won’t check your oxygen tank, Sprout,”_ Gordon shot back playfully.  
  
_“You mean, triple-check?”_ the teen asked innocently.  
  
_“Smother Hen!”_ Scott, Virgil and John cried out in unison.  
  
_“Virgil, we’re on the surface. Ready when you are.”_ Jeff found he couldn’t help himself joining in the laughter at Gordon’s deadpan expression and tone.  
  
_“Time to come back to the coop, Mother Hen, we’ve missed you terribly!”_ Virgil teased in a childish voice.  
  
“Alright, boys, enough with the teasing. Great job all of you, that includes you too, Alan, well done. Right now I’d love another coffee so I’ll leave you to it. See you in the next half hour.”  
  
_“F.A.B,”_ the boys chorused before all three screens went blank as the links were disconnected. Jeff knew they’d still be open their end and the patriarch wasn’t going to intrude on their celebratory flight home. The boys had shown great teamwork and deserved the brother-bonding time to themselves.  
  
Sighing contentedly as he made his way to the kitchen, the father grinned as he entered and picked up a mug. The first mission with all five of his boys officially involved had gone smoothly; better than he dared to have hoped for. None of them had been injured, there’d been no casualties or fatalities and even the President’s cruise liner would make it home in one piece.  
  
Following the events of Spring Break and The Hood’s attack on Thunderbird Five, the communications satellite was temporarily out of action while she was being repaired. Brains and Fermat both had that job in hand, though they had both returned yesterday for a respite and for the special gathering they’d had as a belated celebration of the success in London all those weeks ago. Until Five was fully operational, all emergency communications had been rerouted to the island for the time being.  
  
The US President, however, had insisted calling International Rescue’s Commander personally if any trouble were to arise and so had Jeff’s own cell phone number in case of any emergencies in Washington DC, or anything to do with Madam President herself. Jeff had to admit that the sinking of her very own cruise ship appeared suspicious, prompting a terrorist investigation which would be left to the CIA and any other number of agents at the President’s disposal. Penny had already left for the States by request of the US Government, her ties with the British Secret Service known and admired but not her connection to International Rescue. Given she usually resided in London and not the middle of the Pacific Ocean, she’d gracefully accepted the callout at the ungodly hour as it would have been mid-afternoon back in England. Jeff knew she’d report back with updates whenever she could to keep them in the loop.  
  
Activating the coffee machine, Jeff smiled fondly as he spotted a familiar device on the counter. Picking up Alan’s rock skimmer gadget, which had been deposited there earlier in his haste to change into his flight suit ready for the rescue, Jeff found his thoughts drifting to his youngest son as he turned the ingenious device over in his hands before glancing out towards the pool.  
  
It was the early hours of the morning and the rest of the island was asleep. Even Tin-Tin, who had initially stayed in Command and Control intent on watching the entire rescue. That was, until she had fallen asleep on one of the couches and Jeff hadn’t had the heart to wake her. Before turning in themselves, satisfied the rescue was in hand, Onaha and Kyrano had taken her upstairs to bed. Fermat and Brains, having headed back up to Five in Thunderbird Three around the same time the boys left for the Caribbean, were aware of the rescue via their watch feeds as both geniuses worked on bringing the communications satellite back online.  
  
Jeff thought of the two youngsters as two of his own children. Not eight hours previous had he made all three teens official members of International Rescue, and already Alan had proven himself again. Their performance in the face of danger over Spring Break had both shocked and impressed him. Alan had well and truly proven himself a Tracy and a formidable asset to the Thunderbirds despite his tender age.  
  
He remembered with a shudder that for a time stranded up in Five, his four eldest sons floating helplessly around him, that there was every possibility they wouldn’t have made it. The Hood had taken control of the systems and they were well and truly done for. But Alan had managed to evade capture and fight back, with the aid of Lady Penelope, Parker, Fermat and Tin-Tin. Jeff couldn’t be more proud of his family, related or not, on that day.  
  
As he made his way back to his office, which was still set as Command and Control, a very familiar engine noise filled his ears. As he looked towards the horizon, the first strip of sunlight of a new day visible, he saw the sleek, silver rocket in the distance. Scott was back.  
  
_“Base from Thunderbird One. On final approach to the island,”_ he announced.  
  
“Welcome home, Scott,” Jeff replied, pressing the button on the control panel to activate the pool mechanism, drawing it back to allow One to return to her silo. Half a minute later he watched fondly as Scott slid the rocket through the hole where the pool had been with effortless precision.  
  
_Perfect as always, Scotty, couldn’t have done it better myself._  
  
A few minutes later Scott’s portrait slid open and the eldest Tracy walked out still in his flight suit, a satisfied grin plastered on his face. Jeff placed the steaming mug of caffeine on the desk as he strode over to embrace him.  
  
“Hey, son, good job out there.”  
  
“Thanks but I didn’t do much, the others had all of the action and had it all under control. You should have seen the look on Allie’s face when we Okayed his decision to manually plug the hull.”  
  
Jeff smiled and shook his head at his eldest son. Scott was indirectly proving his earlier point about being left out of the action, yet at the same time swimming with modesty as he willingly played down his part in favour of his younger brothers. Scott was a complex human being and yet Jeff could read him like a book.  
  
“They’re just a few minutes behind me.”  
  
“Well as soon as they get back I’m going to congratulate them all, no one’s getting any sleep tonight until I’ve told them in person and given them each a bear hug – especially Alan.”  
  
At that, Scott’s whole demeanour changed. He cast his eyes to the floor and around the room, anywhere to avoid his father’s gaze. He was shifting nervously on the balls of his feet and a hand flew to his hair and began raking through it causing the already untidy mop to be mussed up even more.  
  
“What’s up, Scott?” Jeff asked softly, eventually gaining eye contact with his eldest son. Scott’s cobalt eyes showed a mixture of apprehension and fear, making the patriarch almost flinch. He hadn’t seen his son like this for a while. As if he had read Jeff’s mind and realised he was letting his emotions show, Scott immediately closed back up again, clearing his throat self-consciously.  
  
“Are you gonna let Alan stay on the team?” he asked, and Jeff could clearly see the fear had gone, replaced by hope that now shined from those blue eyes.  
  
Realising what Scott was getting at, Jeff let go of the breath he hadn’t been aware he’d been holding and nodded with a reassuring grin, which grew wider upon seeing his eldest visibly relax.  
  
“I don’t think he could have done a better job, Scotty. Now go and get cleaned up,” he replied, smiling as he took in the physical appearance of his eldest son. His usually pristine hair was ruffled and his slightly sweaty face only just hid the blush of embarrassment at being caught in his brief moment of vulnerability.  
  
“Okay, I’ll be seconds!” Scott called as he raced out of the office, leaving Jeff chuckling. Although Alan and Gordon were known as the pranksters of the family, all of his boys could still act like children when they wanted to. But under the circumstances Jeff didn’t mind one bit. The rescue had been a success and it might even turn out to be the brand-new start the family needed.

* * *

  
Scott was back in the office just as Two was coming in to land. From the uncontrollable giggles erupting from Virgil on the transmissions, meaning John had had to ask for permission to land, Jeff guessed the flight back for his four other boys had been far from silent.  
  
His deductions proved correct as when the four other portraits opened the air was filled with the noise of laughter and good-natured teasing. Gordon was doubled over with tears of mirth streaming down his face, while Virgil and John were conversing with grins on their faces as Virgil flicked what looked like a piece of fluff off his blond brother’s shoulder. Alan was watching the exchange with a satisfied look identical to Scott’s earlier.  
  
“He got you good, Johnny, I can’t believe you fell for it!” Virgil exclaimed.  
  
Judging by the way John shot a playful glare at Gordon, Jeff instantly guessed what had happened and began sniggering himself. Scott went over to hug Alan, ruffling his hair affectionately.  
  
“Ha sorry, Johnny, I…couldn’t…resist!” Gordon gasped, barely able to breathe through hysterics. In response, John seized the aquanaut in a headlock before rubbing his head with his knuckles.  
  
Jeff aimed a questioning look at Gordon and John, the former descending into further fits of laughter while the latter explained.  
  
“Fish-face over here thought it funny to scare me to death. Neither Gords nor Alan showed up for ten minutes after they’d returned Four to the pod and we couldn’t contact them. It’s obvious now they were concocting their plan.”  
  
Alan sniggered as the astronaut continued. “I was about to go down to the pod to check on them but then Alan calls for help, sounding panicked and distressed saying Gordon had collapsed. Turns out he was just waiting to ambush me at the door making me fall head over heels into a pile of burst pillows. Feathers everywhere.  
  
He made a dramatic gesture with his hands to emphasise the last sentence, making his brothers laugh all the more.  
  
“Well, they’re not called the Terrible Two for nothing!” Scott said fondly, ruffling Alan’s hair again.  
  
“Gordon, what are pillows even doing on Four?” Jeff inquired lightly. “Do I need to do a sweep and confiscate your prank kits?”  
  
The aquanaut’s expression immediately changed to a look of mock outrange before he stood up, shrugging and smiling innocently. “Simple. I have them in case of an emergency and have to spend the night.” But catching the pointed glare on his father’s face he puffed out a breath. “Okay, fine, they were from the medical bay. But they all called me a Smother Hen so Al decided to make a nest!” he whined, pouting and sticking his tongue out at said brother.  
  
“Well, yeah.” Alan blushed. “But it was your idea to get John to run down to us.”  
  
“Yeah, well, he refused to acknowledge that Four is my baby! You had it coming, Johnny!”  
  
“I’ll show you what’s coming, Fish.” And with that, John made a grab for Gordon who took off out of the room like a whippet with the space monitor hot on his tail.  
  
When everyone had recovered from another round of laughter, Jeff sighed. “What am I going to do with you boys, you’ll be the death of me, mark my words!” He grinned. “No one would take International Rescue seriously if they ever saw you like this. Right, come on, off to bed with you all.”  
  
As the remaining young men made to exit the room, Jeff collared his youngest. “Alan, can I speak to you for a moment please?”  
  
The teen’s mouth twitched as he gave a half shrug. “Sure, Dad.”  
  
Jeff saw Scott raise his eyebrows in question and the patriarch winked back, sending the silent message across. In response the pilot grinned before clapping Virgil on the back as they turned and made their way out.  
  
Once the pair had disappeared from sight and Command and Control was back to Jeff Tracy’s study once more, Jeff invited Alan to take a seat before smiling fondly at the blond who was still dressed in his flight suit. Then he took a deep breath and began to talk; there was a lot he wanted to get off his chest even if it was the early hours of the morning. He'd been chewing things over for the past eight weeks and the events of tonight had enabled him to break through the indecision that had been plaguing him.  
  
“I’m very proud of you, Alan. Today, and in the events over Spring Break, you've proven to your brothers and I that we've been wrong to doubt you. We wouldn’t be here right now if it weren’t for your actions. I love you so much, and you must realise that by sending you off to school I was both protecting you and giving you the opportunity to make your own way in life. It wasn’t that we didn’t care about you it was quite the opposite. Your brothers Scott, John, Virgil and Gordon all joined IR by choice. I gave them their opportunities to do other things and they did. Scott joined the Air Force, John NASA, Virgil went to Denver and Gordon joined W.A.S.P. But when the appropriate time came for each of them they opted to come back to the island.”  
  
He was pleased to see that Alan was sat attentive with a smile on his face, listening to every word.  
  
“With the rescue today you demonstrated maturity beyond your age, level-headedness, quick thinking and leadership, all attributes I require from my operatives. But, Alan, you are just fifteen-years-old and I want you to remember that. I’m not going to be naïve and just drag you out of school and shove you on the team without first thinking things through and discussing them with you. You’ve had the privilege of joining IR much earlier than your brothers, which to an extent can’t be helped, and trust me they are delighted, and equally so am I. This is merely something for you to think about before I move onto my next train of thought, are you following so far?”  
  
Alan nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. “Yeah, please continue.”  
  
“Okay. Well as it’s now the summer holidays I thought it appropriate to start getting you familiar with the Birds. There are simulation programmes as you well know but I think it would be more beneficial if you were to experience each Bird in turn with each one of your brothers and see how that goes. This makes twice you've piloted Four.  
  
“That day in Spring Break you piloted 3 out of 5 crafts, as well as saving us, the island, maintaining secrecy, and saving the lives of those in the monorail. I’m very proud of you, Alan, and I have full confidence that in the next coming years you could become a full-time member of International Rescue, maybe even from September. After all, your teachers have informed me that you have really excelled since Spring Break and proven them all wrong. I’ll consider home-schooling you so you can take part in more rescues. Now the obvious craft to become yours is, of course, Three.”  
  
Jeff stopped himself, smiling softly as he took in the look of pure delight on Alan’s face.  
  
“Dad, are you serious?” he asked excitedly, practically leaping out of the chair.  
  
“Well, your latest report from Wharton’s details a recent interest in astronomy and engineering. Plus more than a few visits to the Boston racetrack, which tells me you're a fan of high speeds. Do you want to enlighten me?”  
  
Alan blushed, rubbing the back of his neck as he replied. “Well, I used to love Johnny taking me out in the back garden in Kansas and showing me the constellations. We’ve actually done a recent module in Physics about the stars and I got a high grade as I already knew a lot. And then Virg sometimes asks me to help tinker with parts in Two when I’m home. As for the racing, Jed in our dorm room has family who work there and he’s had backstage access, including the cars. Me and Fermat tag along every time.”  
  
“That’s good to hear. John’s due back on Five in the next week or so, do you want to tag along in Three?”  
  
Alan grinned, nodding vigorously and his voice hopeful. “Do you think Johnny would let me do a rotation with him?”  
  
“I don’t see why not,” Jeff replied. “You fancy being a spaceman, Sprout?”  
  
“Wouldn’t hurt to try it out,” Alan shrugged casually, but the excitement was crystal clear.  
  
“All right then, I’ll have a word with the boys and see if we can sort something out.” Jeff stood up and made his way around the desk to hug the teenager. “I’m proud of you, Alan, and I love you. Never forget that. Now go and get some shut-eye, you must be exhausted.”  
  
“Love you too, Dad. But first I’m going to wake Fermat and Tin-Tin, they’ve so gotta hear about this!”


	2. Scott

“Primary fuel pumps set. All pre-flight checks complete; main engine start.”  
  
Alan lightly tapped the touchscreen panel in front of him and the four rocket boosters beneath the craft roared into life. It was hard to supress a shiver of delight at the feeling of sheer power that coursed through him. This sleek cahelium machine, capable of such hypersonic speed that it could reach any destination in the world within an hour, was his to command. It beat every trip in his favourite race car, hands down.  
  
“Okay, Sprout,” Scott announced from the co-pilot’s seat, flicking the last of the switches above his head before giving the teen a nod. “We’re good to go.”  
  
_“Engine sequence complete,”_ the disembodied voice from the instruments confirmed.  
  
“F.A.B.”  
  
Alan pushed forward on the throttle and Thunderbird One shot upwards into the sky, levelling out with a slight adjustment of the joystick lever. Relaxing back into his seat, he flexed his fingers. It seemed like an age since he’d flown with Fermat to London in pursuit of The Hood, but it was barely two months ago. He breathed deeply at the familiar sensation of adrenaline pumping through his veins, making the very ends of his limbs tingle.  
  
“Feels good, doesn’t it?” came Scott’s awed voice beside him. Looking over at his brother, Alan smiled at the knowing grin on his face.  
  
“Sure does!”  
  
They fell into a companionable silence as One powered smoothly over the Pacific, the ride so smooth and almost silent despite the immense speed. But the teenager couldn’t help but feel there was something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He remembered the last time he’d flown the craft back in the spring. Yes, the adrenaline was pumping now as back then, but he didn’t feel as comfortable in the driving seat as he’d hoped. His mind kept chewing over the conversation he’d had with his father in the early hours of that morning. He’d been overjoyed his father was finally seeing him as a responsible teenager and not just a kid, but he couldn’t help feeling a gnawing sensation in his stomach.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Scott watching him intently as he flipped switches to keep the ship steady, all the while keeping a firm hand on the joystick to stop them veering off course. He could feel heat start to creep up his neck under his brother’s piercing gaze, when suddenly Scott beamed at him.  
  
“I’ve got to admit, Sprout, you’re doing a fine job. I’d say you’d even be able to handle this baby on a rescue if I was unavailable. Don’t tell the others I said that though,” he added quickly before chuckling. Despite the glowing praise he was receiving, Alan found his smile didn’t quite reach his own eyes. If Scott noticed though he didn’t say anything, instead engaging the teen in conversation about his hobbies, school, friends and whatever else he could think of.  
  
This time Alan found the smile growing was genuine. Since the escapade during spring break, Alan had begun to appreciate his family all the more. Nightmares, although rarely now, had plagued him for weeks afterwards, taunting him with images of losing his family. Before, he’d never really given it much thought; he was a teenaged kid who had the misfortune of having four older brothers who never really seemed to pay him much attention. Granted they’d been busy saving people with the aid of the most advanced technology in the world, but it had left Alan feeling excluded. Shoved off to boarding school for most of the year with very little chance to see his family in between as they always had so much going on, whenever they were together Alan bore the brunt of their overbearing teasing and smothering. And thus, relationships had become strained.  
  
But since spring break, it was as if the whole family had turned over a new leaf. For the three remaining weeks before he’d had to head back to Wharton’s for the summer term, Alan and his brothers had shared more time together than they had done over the entire previous year – from movie nights to good-natured competitive sports. It was never spoken out loud, mainly as it didn’t need to be, but Alan knew that it was for the purpose of each brother keeping a close eye on the others, as if they would just disappear if they so much as blinked. But for Alan, the quality time had mended rifts and it had done him a world of good. Heading back to school, he‘d felt refreshed, no longer having some invisible weight bearing down upon him. He worked hard at his studies and joined clubs and ventured out more and he felt like a brand new person.  
  
But above all, his brothers and father understood that he was growing up. Though on occasions he was still treated like a kid, it was nowhere near the density it had been before. Besides, it was fun to arse around sometimes.  
  
“Something up, Alan?”  
  
Alan snorted softly and the corners of his mouth twitched. For as long as he could remember, Scott had possessed the power to read minds, or so it felt. It meant that no matter how hard he or any of his brothers tried, nothing was too well hidden for the eldest, as were the unwritten laws of having numerous siblings.  
  
His mind brought back the uncertainty he’d been feeling earlier and he sighed before speaking. “It just doesn’t feel the same as last time. But maybe it’s just because we’re not heading off to a rescue like I was before.”  
  
“Or maybe because she’s mine and you know it!” Scott joked. “You’re just a little nervous, as you’re doing this with actual permission rather than trying to defy Dad.”  
  
Although he could see some truth in that statement, and bitterly remembered the night he’d broken in to One and fired her up, Alan just laughed before playfully shooting back, “And I know I’d die where I sat if I ever harmed her. What is it with you guys and ownership? You’re all smitten with machinery, it’s kind of sad!”  
  
Scott raised his eyebrows and mock glared in a way that that said, ‘ _try me’._ “Hey, I can always pull the ejector lever if you’re going to have that attitude with me, Sprout!” he warned with a grin before his smile faded. “Seriously, Allie, what’s bothering you?”  
  
Alan didn’t even try to brush it off; he’d never truly been able to hide his emotions from Scott. “What Dad said to me yesterday, well this morning, when we got back from the cruise liner rescue. He said he’ll consider home-schooling me as my grades have improved since spring, so I can come on more missions.”   
  
There was a small silence as Scott thought before replying softly. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”  
  
Before he could stop himself, Alan was rambling. “Well, yeah, back then. All I cared about was being a Thunderbird. I was a terrible student, a selfish and ungrateful kid, purposely underperforming because I was jealous and annoyed. I didn’t fully appreciate my family. It took nearly losing you all to get my head out my ass and put it back on straight. But, now I feel part of the family again I understand a whole lot better and well…”  
  
“You’re only fifteen and Dad wants you to spread your wings and enable you to make your own choices,” Scott finished, nodding in understanding. “He’s had the same talk with all of us, Al. When I was first told about International Rescue and we moved to the island, I was eighteen and about to enter the Air Force. My initial reaction was to quit while I was ahead and help Dad and Brains. But Dad talked to me and steered me in the right direction. As a result I’ve gained valuable experience in the Force which comes in handy on pretty much every single rescue, enough to have me appointed Field Commander now. I’ve made friends I’m still in touch with which is something I’ll be forever grateful to Dad for. Life on the island can get pretty lonely if you restrict yourself, Sprout.  
  
"At Wharton’s, you’ve got the opportunity to make friends who you’ll keep for years to come, the chance to study whatever you want at college to get whatever career you desire. Johnny’s told me how you’ve been making regular visits to the Boston race track – either hacking into the school’s records or by tracking your watch,” he explained sheepishly as Alan raised an eyebrow. “But by all means, if you want to be a racer then go for it while you still can!”  
  
Alan puffed out a breath as he let what Scott had said sink in. His fears had surfaced, and it made far more sense hearing them voiced out loud as opposed to the jumble of thoughts inside his head. His brother had hit the nail on the head, and so the realisation came to light. The real reason he’d felt like something was wrong: was it really worth ditching everything so soon?  
  
“So you wouldn’t be disappointed if I told you I’m still considering going back to Wharton’s then?” he replied, taken aback by how confident his voice sounded.  
  
“Of course not, Alan, if that’s what you want. As your big brother it’s my job to look out for you. I’ll admit the rescue had a completely different feel to it knowing we were all together, it honestly felt more of a team effort. As for the whole escapade on the way back, I don’t think we’ve ever had that much fun heading home from a rescue.”  
  
Alan laughed softly at that. They’d been in such high spirits after the successful turnout, he’d leapt at the chance to lighten the atmosphere and allow his brothers to let their hair down a bit.  
  
"While you stayed in Dad’s office when we got back, we talked in John’s room about the rescue and we all agreed we much preferred having you with us. I know John rarely participates physically in missions but that doesn’t make a difference. He's still with us over the communications much like I was for the majority of the rescue yesterday. If you want to give it a few more years until you’re ready, Allie, we don’t want to rush you. I believe you need the chance to make your own life decisions. If you’ve got stuff you want to do, then go for it.”  
  
Nodding in understanding, Alan focused his attention out the cockpit window. So Scotty was on his side, seemingly in the same frame of mind about not quite rushing into things, what would his other brothers say?  
  
There was land far beneath them now, something he hadn’t taken notice of the last time. He’d been too busy bathing in the glory and excitement and answering transmissions that he hadn’t had a chance to look around. Gazing out thoughtfully, though keeping half an eye straight ahead, he found it was peaceful. He could see for miles thanks to the cloudless sky. Not many people he knew had the privilege of viewing the world like this, and that feeling soared as he thought about Thunderbird Five out in the clutches of space.  
  
“Hey, Sprout? _You_ might be keen on seeing penguins but I’d rather not be subject to humiliation if Virg has to come collect us out of the snow.”  
  
Alan blinked as Scott’s words brought him fully back to reality. They took a few seconds to process before he glanced back at the screen indicating their position, immediately biting his lip in embarrassment. In his slight daydream he’d managed to veer off course; Thunderbird One was now headed towards Antarctica.  
  
“Umm…,” he began, looking sheepishly at his older brother. For his part, Scott just ruffled his hair and chuckled.  
  
“It’s okay kiddo, I won’t tell. It’s pretty easy to get carried away; I’ll give you that. We’re still at the same height, you just moved your hand ever so slightly to the left.”  
  
Nodding and pleased he wasn’t going to be subject to teasing for his mistake, Alan adjusted the joystick a bit more to bring the rocket into a smooth and elegant U-turn, heading back towards the island.  
  
 _“Hey, you know, Alan, if you wanted a trip to a zoo you could have just asked.”_  
  
Alan couldn’t help bursting into a fit of giggles at Scott’s groan as John appeared on the vidscreen, a smug smile on his face.


	3. Gordon

All appeared to be still on the tropical island, the only sounds of life being the constant quiet buzz of insects deep in the jungle. The near-transparent sea lapped at the small band of white sandy beach visible at the high tide, comfortably warmed by the mid-morning sun, while the palm trees and colourful shrubs swayed elegantly in the light breeze.  
  
The occupants of the villa could not be seen; some of them not yet awake, others carrying out jobs within the house or, in the case of the family patriarch, manning Command and Control.  
  
At the rear of the island, a low mechanical hum preceded the opening of the hangar doors, quiet enough that it didn’t so much as disturb the surrounding thriving ecosystem. Metallic tracks rose up from the runway, and a yellow minisub emerged from the cliff side that housed the giant green carrier-bug.  
  
The emergency launch procedure in place, the youngest pushed the controls forward and Thunderbird Four began its path towards the ocean. But not long before the peaceful and companionable silence was broken by a loud, booming voice.  
  
"Pacific: the First Voyage. Our mission: to explore distant reefs and go where Alan Tracy has never gone before!"  
  
As they hit the water and journeyed deeper, Alan rolled his eyes as he activated the front beams – nothing but procedure in the clarity of the southern Pacific so close to land.  
  
"To get the Thunderbird Four back to base safely, Captain Tracy must avoid the innocent marine life, unruly rock faces and the treacherous ocean floor, or risk facing the wrath of the enemy: THE GORDONIAN!" the red-head finished dramatically, throwing his arms into the air.  
  
"Quit it, Gords, you're distracting me."  
  
"Sorry, Sprout, just trying to lighten the mood,” Gordon replied defensively, and yet the blond could feel his older brother eyeing him. Alan was used to it after fifteen years of being the youngest of five boys – and by a considerable age gap – so much that he could physically feel the concern boring out of Gordon’s eyes.  
  
“You know, you've been kind of… _off_   lately."  
  
And there it was. Alan didn't reply, instead fixing his gaze at the open ocean in front of him. While he knew he needed to talk through his options and opinions with his whole family, today of all days he just didn’t feel in the mood. He was half considering turning the craft around and heading back for shore there and then, not wanting to be stuck in the enclosed space of the submarine and have to deal with questions. That was, until Gordon spoke. Quietly, sincerely and _very_ unGordon-like.  
  
"Scotty told us what you said to him in One the other day. Do you want to talk about it?"  
  
Alan couldn’t help but shoot him a questioning look and an eyebrow raise, his usual partner-in-crime was acting rather out of sorts. But he merely shrugged and gave a half smile before the expression on his face turned thoughtful.  
  
"What? I can do the whole serious-brother-talk thing too, ya know. Don’t you want to be a Thunderbird anymore?"  
  
The fifteen-year-old didn't miss the crestfallen tone in his brother's voice. Resigned to having join in the discussion, Alan took a deep breath before replying.  
  
"It's not that at all, of course I do. You know how long I've felt excluded, Gords. It's just that now I'm getting the opportunity, I'm seeing things a bit differently."  
  
It was then Gordon’s turn to let out a breath, and the cockpit was silent for a while. But eventually, the aquanaut began his own tale.  
  
"Allie, not too long ago I was in a rather precarious position. I had my own plans - I was an Olympic champion, girls swooned before me, and it felt like I could do whatever I wanted. Everything was set, I was going to spend a few years in W.A.S.P like Scott did in the Air Force, knowing Four was mine to commandeer if and when I so desired. I was going to spend lengths of time on the ocean floor studying marine life as well as having my own share of combat. But, of course, my accident changed everything. I was facing the fact I’d never walk again and to me it felt like my life had been torn away before it had even begun.”  
  
Alan grimaced in sympathy, more than aware of how difficult it was for his brother to be speaking about such a thing right now.  
  
Gordon’s hydrofoil accident almost two years ago had shaken the entire family. It was a miracle that he’d even survived. His injuries were so severe he was in a medically induced coma for two months while his body healed, and then after he’d woken up there’d been a catch. Doctors warned he’d be paralysed from the waist down as his back was refusing to heal properly. It had been a difficult time for everyone, but especially Gordon. Still a teenager, who had practically learned to swim before he could walk, he was almost forced to accept and adapt to a completely alien lifestyle.  
  
“There was every chance I wouldn’t be able to participate in IR due to the extent of my injuries. Of course, Dad would have made modifications wherever possible, but I wasn’t thinking along those lines at the time. Who in my position _would_ have been? But I still didn't let it beat me, and neither did any of you guys. I fought hard and never gave up, no matter how bad things got, and I damn well got my legs back into full working order. While recovering on the island, International Rescue received it’s first emergency call; I was taking online Oceanography classes - pretty much the paper equivalent of what I had been doing in W.A.S.P, actually. It just meant that for a while I was excluded from the action, just like you, until I was able to do everything for myself again.  
  
“Those first few months after I officially became an operative, I was just stuck manning mobile control. I was seventeen then, Alan, two years older than you are now. I know exactly how it feels to sit and watch the media coverage of the rescues, wishing you could be there, knowing you can’t do anything to help if something was to go wrong. It sucks,” Gordon finished grimly, his voice remarkably steady.  
  
Alan tried to supress the shivers of discomfort, but he wasn’t entirely successful. If Gordon noticed he didn’t say anything, his attention focused on the coral reefs and fish out of his side window. Alan fully understood his brother’s reasoning and felt a gush of pride and love for his courage. It had evidently taken a lot out of him opening up like that, something he wasn’t prone to do with regards to that particular subject area.  
  
Alan cleared his throat self-consciously nevertheless. “So what do you think I should do?”  
  
“Well,” Gordon said quietly, turning back to him. “Dad’s willing to compromise with you after you’ve shown us you’re most definitely a Tracy. I’m proud of you, bud – we all are! You’ve been longing for since I can remember to be part of the team; you’ve _been_ part of the team before and _are_ part of the team now. I miss you when you’re away at school too, pranks are not much fun without an accomplice.”  
  
Alan snorted. “Yeah, I have Fermat and the guys to help me at school.”  
  
“Exactly! Being home-schooled isn’t too bad either, as I’ve been there myself. Hey, plus, you’ll see a lot more of Tin-Tin too!” Gordon smirked, giving him a knowing look and Alan felt himself blushing.    
  
“Right, enough talk and more fun. It seems our mission for today is accomplished, let’s get Four back to base so we can set up another prank!” Gordon cried, grinning like a madman. It made Alan grin too, seeing the sudden change in contrast to the glum atmosphere. He watched as he pressed a few buttons on the touchscreen to begin a link with the island.  
  
“Base from Thunderbird Four, training session accomplished without a hitch. On our way home.”  
  
_“F.A.B., Gordon, Alan, see you soon,”_ Jeff replied.  
  
As Four began the journey back to shore, Alan thought over Gordon’s opinion. The red-head was the brother he was closest to other than Scott, but unlike the eldest, he’d made it quite obvious that he was of the opinion that Alan stay on the island and be part of International Rescue for good. So that made it one vote a-piece from his brothers so far.  
  
And he knew already what Virgil’s reaction would be.


End file.
